


The Wilby Cycle

by peoriapeoria



Category: Wilby Wonderful (2004)
Genre: Adultery Ideation, Attempted Rape, Gen, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-26
Updated: 2011-04-26
Packaged: 2017-10-18 17:22:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 1,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/191345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peoriapeoria/pseuds/peoriapeoria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of snippets and drabbles in the aftermath of the movie events. Things in the movie are referenced, this is your spoiler warning and warning warning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"I was doing something really stupid." He couldn't even say he panicked. It was a good thing Mackenzie was a snoop. Actually, in more than one way because she clued him into the motive with Stan and the manufactured evidence.

He placed a finger on Carol's lips. "Trust me, stupid I know. And I should have talked to my mother. You made me so happy when you said "yes" and when you said "I do."

"Past tense." Carol looked at the ground, then straight ahead.

"Future tense, too. If I'm luckier than I deserve."

Carol looked and stretched her hand.


	2. Chapter 2

"I'd chosen to live and then the chair broke."

Duck put his finger on Dan's lips. The doctor didn't want him stressing his bruised vocal cords. Right now, Duck was focused on the fact Carol did cut Dan down. She hadn't seen him right away, but after that she'd found a ladder and a knife. Saved his life. The doctor figured Dan had lost consciousness as she was pulling into the drive.

That she'd then stuffed Dan in a closet--

Dan hugged him hard. Duck returned it. Too close. The names never did come out. He doubted most of the men from the Watch would either. They had wives, or parents with expectations, jobs they were afraid of losing.

"She'd stopped me before. At my house."

Duck's blood went cold. Carol had asked him if he smelled gas. He just thought she was wound up. He started to ask about the bridge.

Later. For now they could eat soup, walk in the woods, and sit close together on the couch. He should work on his own house. He made sure the roof was good, pipes, all of that, look bad in his business otherwise, but he'd only shifted things around in the kitchen, hadn't done more than had one of his mom's friends take what clothes the church rummage sale could sell.

"Want to help me clean out some closets?" He smiled as Dan grinned. Wilby was wonderful.


	3. Chapter 3

On porch finger raised  
Dan is so in love and out  
Mainlanders stick close


	4. Chapter 4

Carol didn't know who she was. She'd known once. Buddy was beautiful. That was before she knew he was a French, before she knew what a French was, what Wilby was. Who Buddy's mother was.

It had taken her awhile to realize that her mother-in-law's problem with her wasn't what she'd thought. She was a mainlander. Never mind that so was her mother-in-law's grandfather. He'd been part of French's expedition.

The family trees of the island were gnarled.

Buddy's mom was stymied. One son. Who hadn't married straight out of college. Then, she might have adjusted to a mainlander.

Broodmare.


	5. Chapter 5

Carol opened the door. "Dan!" She'd seen him around town of course, from across the street, not close up, in a checkout line or anywhere. Not since, not since they pulled him from the cupboard.

"I wanted to thank you, and to apologize."

"Apologize?" There hadn't been room for the EMTs to get a neckbrace on him until they moved him.

"I did break into Mrs. French's house. I wasn't thinking about who'd find me. My corpse. I'm sorry, and very glad you saved me."

"I--" She didn't, she couldn't, she hadn't forgiven herself. She looked up.

"Welcome." Carol cried.


	6. Chapter 6

Dan stepped inside and slid into a booth. Two weeks had passed since he'd tried to kill himself. Gotten out of the hospital. He'd let Duck take him home when released.

They'd been going through things. Things. He'd disposed of nearly everything. Dan had his clothes, which he'd never much cared about, and a couple of Western books he'd pulled from the curbed boxes.

Duck lived away from town. There had been a little farming, once; mostly Wilby had taken what it needed from the sea. Or the sky during the migrations of geese and ducks. Captains stuck together in town, crew scattered to what advantage they could find.

Dan smiled as Sandra sashayed over with the coffee pot and a menu.

"Good to see you."

"Thanks." He looked it over, sat it down.

"You ready?"

"Could I have waffles?"

"Bacon?"

He nodded, then lifted his head again. She smiled at him then headed into the kitchen.

The old homes were built by shipwrights. Logged and milled on island. Was why they had hewn beams and weathered the wind. He liked Duck's house. He liked the chipped plates, the faded rugs, the scarred kitchen table. Surviors of a life lived.


	7. Chapter 7

"You want my help?" Sandra looked at Carol in disbelief. Clearly Buddy hadn't told the whole truth, though what with Dan...

"I've started painting again. And everybody comes to Iggy's eventually."

Not quite. Almost. There were a few that couldn't either forget or forgive, and she'd told off Irene herself for hissing at Duck.

"I thought we could make a trade of part of a wall for commission?"

"This isn't a gallery." She thought about it. "Do you have something with you? I'd need to see, in order to decide."

"Oh, yes, in my car."

Sandra followed. It might work.


	8. Chapter 8

Duck saw Carol's SUV and decided to pull over. He wondered what she was doing at the Watch. They'd not talked, more than the hello in the grocery, held a door at the post office. He'd not spoke with Buddy either.

Sandra, yes. He was so proud of her. How it started didn't matter, she'd ended it before it could hurt Emily. Buddy didn't used to be like this.

Carol was struggling with an easel.

"Let me give you a hand with that."

She turned, scrambling after the falling ease. "You startled me.

"This is nice." He looked at the various fittings, then at the rocks. "Would you mind over there instead?"

"No." She thought. "That'd be fine, Duck." Smiled.

Duck set it up for her on a rock big enough for the tripod's spread, adjusting the legs. He stood, rubbing his hands on his overalls. "About Dan." He reached for her hand, squeezed. Swallowed.

"Guess I owe you a chair."

Carol stared at him then started laughing, swatting him on the chest. "Don't you dare. It was a piece of junk. How are you doing?"

"Good. You and Buddy?"

"Better." She looked out, the mainland just visible. "I'd forgotten.


	9. Chapter 9

"Duck." Buddy tipped his head, then looked out.

"Hey. Guess they decided not to print."

"Something like that. Dan?"

"He's okay. Carol?"

"We're better. About..."

"You don't need to explain to me."

"I should have paid more attention to what you were asking. I guess I've never been real good at knowing what's happening around me."

Duck chuckled.

"Anything I should know?"

"Stan's been keeping an eye out."

"Good." He toed the ground. "How's Emily?"

"You should ask Sandra. Really."

Buddy shook his head, lips quirked. "Yeah, I know. Was I terrible in High School?"

"No. A little insulated, maybe."


	10. Chapter 10

Buddy stepped inside Iggy's and slid into the booth that had been Irene's perch Before.

"Buddy." Sandra grabbed the coffee pot on the way to his table. "Things been busy?"

"Yeah." He looked over at the mound of scratch-offs in the next booth. "I'm glad you decided. And I'm sorry."

"Me too." She thought a moment. "I didn't know Carol paints. Not that I would, I've been busy here. How'd she and your mom get along?"

Buddy chortled. "Like rocks and waves."

"Good. Just, your mother wasn't the easiest person unless you were exactly as she wanted you."

"I know."


	11. Chapter 11

Carol exhaled. "We should move."

Buddy looked at her, head whipping.

"Your mother's house isn't selling. We could move in, sell this one." The islanders all knew what happened, what almost happened, and mainlanders wanted a view not neighbors so close at hand. Neighbors that didn't welcome them.

"Carol."

"I talked to Duck. He says with it empty he could do all the work in a month, month and a half." Painting mostly. Installing shelves.

"Are you sure? You and my mother--"

"Fought over you. I'm sorry. I want that to stop."

"And the house?"

"You didn't want to sell. Not really." They'd bought this one because she'd insisted. She'd wanted distance. She'd gotten it from more than her mother-in-law. "We have to make it our house. Not mine, not your mother's. Ours." Not a mainlander's house.

Buddy reached out and clasped her given hand, pulling her in close. "Together."


	12. Chapter 12

Forgiveness. It's all  
that stands between love and pain.  
Let it in, clean rain.


End file.
